Volvo, once the darling of the more mature driver, is now attracting a very different age-group and the S60 R-Design is the model Volvo thinks will do it for them. But while Volvo may be looking to attract younger drivers they haven’t forgotten their bread and butter market and the S60 sedan and wagon is sure to appeal to more mature drivers.
On the outside the cars have an imposing redesigned front with a grille and a hexagonal pattern that is repeated both front and rear. Distinctive twin exhaust tailpipes and unique five-spoke 18-inch Diamond cut wheels emphasise the sporty overall appeal.
The introductory colour is Passion Red but the Volvo S60 and V60 R-design are also available in choice of another seven colours.
Sports seats
On the inside, the driver and front passenger sit in sports seats in which the backrest from the S60 and V60 is matched by an all-new seat cushion with even closer side support than before.
The special leather/textile upholstery is available in a version trimmed in off-black and ceramic light, or in an all-black variant, both with contrasting stitching. The interior also features a special steering wheel, gear selector, sports pedals and floor-mats.
Suspension
Volvo has done some work on the suspension for the new S60. A strut brace has been added under the bonnet that connects the front strut towers and gives the S60 a much stiffer body structure.
The rear dampers now respond much faster than the ones fitted to the previous model. The S60 and V60 R-Design feature monotube dampers that have compression and return damping via the same valve.
The front and rear springs have been shortened by 15 mm to give the car more attitude and increase spring stiffness by 15 percent compared to the dynamic chassis in the S60 and V60.
The bushings that connect the rear dampers to the body have also been stiffened by 20 percent compared with the dynamic chassis in the S60 and V60.
The new Volvo S60 range also comes with some new technology Volvo calls Corner Traction Control that uses torque vectoring to make for smoother cornering. The technology is a further refinement of the DSTC anti-spin system.
When taking a curve, the car’s inner wheel is braked so more power is transferred to the outer wheel. This gives the driver a tighter line in the curve, with reduced understeering tendency.
Engines
The new Volvo S60 range series comes with a range of petrol and diesel engines. Diesels start with a 4 cylinder 1.6-litre engine, move on to a 5 cylinder 2.0-litre and top out with a 2.4-litre 5 cylinder engine.
Petrol engines include two 1.6-litre engines, two 2.0-litre engines and a 3.0
